Rahul Gandhi may take over as Congress president after Diwali, say sources

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is likely to take over the mantle of the party from his mother Sonia Gandhi after Diwali, if reports are to believed. The elevation could happen as early as on 30 October, media reports said. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will likely be holding a meeting on 24 October where the decks will probably be cleared for Rahul's elevation.

The Gandhi scion's imminent promotion, which has been a topic of discussion for years, was strengthened on 14 October when Sonia herself hinted that she may soon make way for her son to take forward the family legacy and head India's grand old party. "You have been asking this for so many years and it's now happening," Sonia said, smiling, pointing at Rahul, according to NDTV.

The Congress is currently in the process of a major structural rejig with its organisational elections just around the corner. The Election Commission has set a December deadline for the Congress to conclude the exercise. The All India Congress Committee, however, plans to complete the process by the end of this month.

File image of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. PTI

The likely elevation will be weeks before the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat where the Congress faces a tough challenge from the BJP.

On Monday, the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) unanimously passed a resolution that Rahul be made the party's national president. On 12 October, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has unanimously passed a resolution that Rahul be made the party’s national president.

Several other state units of the Congress, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi among others have also passed similar resolutions seeking the elevation of Rahul.

According to PTI, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar moved the resolution at a meeting of party functionaries including city and district unit presidents. “The resolution was passed unanimously,” party spokesperson Amarnath Agarwal was quoted as saying.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid was asked if Rahul Gandhi was the best choice to lead an alliance to take on the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and he said when the Congress vice-president takes over as its chief, he will represent a party which would be the largest contributing part to an alliance, NDTVreported.

With inputs from PTI

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